“Nancy, what’s the matter?” Bess asked.
“Yeah,” George said, “your eyes are as huge as Frisbees!”
“Bess, George,” Nancy said excitedly, “didn’t Lillian wonder yesterday whether Glam Girl’s boots were really magical superboots?”
“She did,” Bess remembered too. “But I thought she was joking.”
“Maybe she wasn’t joking,” Nancy said slowly.
George looked surprised as she asked, “Nancy, are you thinking that Lillian Lasko stole the boots for the Runt Run?”
“Lillian did say she needed new shoes for the Runt Run,” Nancy explained. “And I didn’t see Lillian anywhere after we lined up for Shasta’s autograph, did you?”
Bess and George shook their heads.
“That’s when Shasta’s boots were stolen!” Nancy pointed out.
“Even if Lillian did take Shasta’s boots,” Bess said, “How would she sneak them out of the park without anyone noticing?”
“I remember her saying she brought a backpack!” George blurted.
“Good enough!” Bess said. “Nancy, write Lillian’s name in your Clue Book now!”
Nancy was about to pull out her Clue Book when Mr. Drew walked over. “How was the fashion show?” he asked. “Did you question Paloma?”
“Paloma is off our list, Mr. Drew,” Bess said. “We have a new suspect now!”
“That’s why we need to go Main Street right away, Daddy,” Nancy said. “Could you drive us there, please?”
“Don’t you want to check out your favorite clothes stores first?” Mr. Drew asked.
“Thanks, Daddy,” Nancy said. “But the only things we’re interested in now are Lillian Lasko’s boots!”
Mr. Drew drove Nancy, Bess, and George from the mall to a block near Main Street. Main Street itself was closed to traffic for the Runt Run.
“Remember,” Mr. Drew said as the girls filed out of the car, “you can walk home as long as —”
“We walk together!” Nancy cut in with a smile. “Got it, Daddy!”
Mr. Drew drove off. The girls walked around the corner to Main Street. Crowds of people lined the sidewalk, cheering for the runners. Mayor Strong was there saying hi and shaking hands with the spectators.
Nancy, Bess, and George squeezed through the crowd to the curb. They looked down the block to see kids lining up at the starting line. A colorful sign propped up on a nearby easel read: NEXT RACE: SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SPARKS!
“Lillian is seven years old!” Bess pointed out.
Before the girls could look for Lillian, Mayor Strong stepped up to a microphone.
“Ready, Sparks?” Mayor Strong shouted with a smile. “Then on your mark... get set...”
“I still don’t see Lillian!” Nancy said. “Go!!!” Mayor Strong boomed.
Cheers filled the air as the seven-year-olds were off. Suddenly, Lillian burst through the crowd of runners. Her racing feet flashed brightly as she took the lead.
“Look!” Nancy cried as Lillian dashed by. “She’s wearing boots. Blue sparkly boots!”
“What are we waiting for?” George shouted. “Let’s go after her!”
Nancy, Bess, and George jumped off the curb and joined the race. But their eyes weren’t on the balloon arch at the finish line. They were on Lillian and her boots!
“Lillian, wait up!” Nancy shouted.
When the kids in the crowd saw Nancy, Bess, and George, they began to shout too:
“Hey! I know those girls from school — and they’re not seven!”
“Not fair!”
“Run with the eight-year-olds, posers!”
Lillian glanced back. When she saw Nancy, Bess, and George, her racing feet slowed to a skip. That’s when another runner broke her stride to take first place!
“Oh, no you don’t!” Lillian said as she picked up her pace.
The Clue Crew rocketed after Lillian.
“Lillian — wait!” Nancy called. Before they could catch up, Lillian darted under the balloon arch.
“Second place!” Lillian shouted happily. “That’s faster than I ever ran before thanks to Glam Girl’s magic boots!”
“Magic boots, huh?” Nancy asked as she, Bess, and George approached Lillian. When Lillian saw the girls, she gulped.
“Are those Shasta Sienna’s missing boots, Lillian?” George asked.
“How can they be missing... when they’re on my feet?” Lillian replied.
Bess pointed down at Lillian’s boots and said, “Yellow shiny fabric at the top. They’re the real deal!”
“Phooey,” Lillian muttered under her breath.
Nancy was pretty sure Lillian took the boots. But she wanted to hear it from Lillian herself.
“Lillian?” Nancy asked gently. “Did you take Glam Girl’s boots?”
“Okay, I did,” Lillian confessed, “but I only wanted to run as fast as Glam Girl!”
“How were you able to run in grown-up boots?” Bess asked.
“They’re small for grown-up boots!” Lillian said. “And I wore three pairs of socks to stuff them up.”
George narrowed her eyes. “Well, dress-up time is over,” she snapped. “It’s time to return those boots so the movie can stay in River Heights.”
“Nuh-uuuuuh,” Lillian said, shaking her head. “I’m going to keep these boots so I can win every race!”
“Those boots don’t have superpowers, Lillian,” Nancy explained. “You just thought they did, so you ran as fast as you could.”
Lillian gave a little gasp. “You mean I can really run this fast? Even in my sneakers?”
“Probably faster,” George said.
Lillian smiled as she pulled the boots off her feet. “Take the silly boots,” she said. “They don’t fit and all these socks are itchy!”
“What are you going to walk home in?” Bess asked.
“I left my sneakers on the sidewalk!” Lillian said. Her eyes lit up when she saw Mayor Strong walking over with a big silver trophy. “Wow! Who needs stuffy boots when you can have that?”
Lillian ran to get her second-place trophy. Nancy smiled as she picked up both boots.
“It’s time for us to run now, Clue Crew,” Nancy said. “Straight to the Glam Girl set!”
The Clue Crew ran like the wind to Turtle Shell Playground. The movie trucks and trailers seemed ready to roll out. Melanie Chang was about to climb into a truck when Nancy shouted, “Wait, Ms. Chang! Look what we found!”
When Melanie saw Nancy waving the boots in the air, she smiled from ear to ear.
“Are those the missing boots?” Melanie asked as the girls raced over. She turned and shouted, “Shasta, get over here quick!”
Shasta stepped out of another trailer. Then just like Cinderella she stepped inside the boots to see if they fit.
“Well?” Melanie asked hopefully.
“These are my boots,” Shasta confirmed. “Pinchy toes and all.”
“Now that we found the boots,” Nancy asked. “Will you stay in River Heights?”
“I don’t see why not!” Melanie said.
“Yes!” Nancy, Bess, and George cheered under their breaths. They then took turns explaining how they found the boots on Lillian.
“I’m glad Lillian told you the truth,” Melanie said. “And we’re glad to have our star’s boots back.”
“Even if they do pinch,” Shasta said. “So much for custom-made boots.”
“At least they don’t bounce.” Bess giggled. “Like the ones with the springs on the soles.”
“Rosie showed us how the stunt boots worked,” George said. “Pretty cool stuff!”
Shasta stared at the girls. “So... you know the truth about Rosie?” she asked slowly.
“We’re not the only ones,” Bess admitted. “Some kids called the Popcorn Peeps know too because of me. Sorry.”
“What we really know, Shasta, is that Rosie is not a Glam Girl wannabe,” Nancy explained. “She’s a hard-working stunt double who makes Glam Girl look strong and brave.”
“Can’t you be nicer to her from now on, Shasta?” Bess asked.
Shasta seemed to think about that. She then smiled and said, “Glam Girl shouldn’t be a mean girl. From now on I promise to be nice to Rosie.”
Nancy gave Shasta a thumbs-up sign.
“And I promise to give you girls bigger parts in the movie!” Melanie said. “How would you like to shout ‘Go, Glam Girl’ when she starts to run?”
“You mean we’ll have lines?” Bess gasped.
“Like real movie stars?” Nancy exclaimed. “We’re ready for our close-ups!” George announced.
“I guess that means yes!” Melanie laughed. “Excuse us while we give the crew the good news.”
As Melanie and Shasta walked away, the three best friends exchanged the biggest high fives ever.
“Great job, Clue Crew!” Nancy said. Then with a grin she pulled out her Clue Book and cupcake-eraser pencil and wrote the words, “Case closed!”
“Not only did we solve another case,” George pointed out. “We’re going to rock this movie!”
“So cool!” Nancy said excitedly. “And I think I really do believe in magic now.”
“The magic of Glam Girl’s boots?” Bess asked.
“The magic of movies!” Nancy replied happily. “Lights... cameras... us!”
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